Article

This article describes the evolution of the emerging consciousness programs and
the approach to care for veterans and active duty service members with disorders
of consciousness (DOC) at the 4 polytrauma rehabilitation centers of the Veterans
Health Administration. Compared to traditional rehabilitation patients, DOC
patients have unique recovery patterns and rehabilitative needs, and they require
an intensive medical and nursing support structure. This requires closely
integrated rehabilitation and acute medical care to ensure the highest level of
outcomes. Unfortunately, little information exists in the literature to establish
best practices for the rehabilitation of this population. It is the authors'
intentions to bridge the literature gap in regard to programmatic structure,
treatment approaches for those with DOC, and support of their caregivers. This
article includes descriptions of medical care protocols, review of stimulation
approaches (environmental and pharmacologic) caregiver support, and monitoring of
recovery patterns.

Langue : ANGLAIS